Front Office Manager at Mantis Akagera Game Lodge

JOB DESCRIPTION: FRONT OFFICE MANAGER

1. Department: ROOM DIVISION

2. Reports to: General Manager

3. Responsible for: Front Office Supervisor Reservationists Receptionist Guest Relations Porters

Job purpose

Under the general guidance of the General Manager assess, evaluate and ensure that long-term and short-term goals of all Front Office operations are met. Coordinate Front Office operation to provide efficient, prompt, courteous and proactive services to guest.

All work is carried out in line with the hotel’s guidelines, the departmental business plan, and ACCOR Policies & Procedures and service concepts.

Position Description

Main Outputs and Responsibilities for This Position

TASKS, DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Understanding the companies Policies, Procedures, Operational & Financial Principles and the components involved in the day to day running & operations of the Front Office Departments.

• Achieves guest satisfaction and room revenue goals by supervising the Front Office operation.
• Ensures that Front Office is staffed according to need by utilizing business forecasts to schedule employees.
• Oversees and participates in the prompt and courteous check-in and check-out of guests.
• Addresses questions or problems pertaining to customer room accommodations and rates.
• Controls open and closed dates, room availability for both events and accommodation.
• Keeps effective key control and participates in matters relating to customer room security.
• Monitors advance deposit, credit procedures and cash ups.

• Responds to positive and negative comments expressed in comments from guests, and in comment cards, and develops strategies to improve.
• Checks the arrival list, conference guest list, and VIP list and inform appropriate individuals on returning guests, VIP’s and special guests.
• Is proficient in all Front Office Procedures to be a resource when needed.
• Controls and analyses departmental costs on an ongoing basis; takes action to control negative deviation.
• Monitors Front Office activities regarding discounts, billing instructions, and compliance with hotel credit policies.
• Analyses the rate variance report to ensure proper room rate and revenue control.
• Analyses credit check report daily for possible doubtful accounts.
• Conducts weekly room inspections to ensure it is kept in the best condition, and recommends preventive maintenance to the General Manager where needed.
• Randomly inspects all Housekeeping’s areas on a daily basis to ensure furnishing, facilities and equipment are clean, well maintained and replaced if necessary
• Ensures that all reports associated with the department are accurate and produced on time.
• Supplies relevant information to other departments to assists them in planning and running their departments.
• Maintain a presence in the lobby during peak check-in and checkout times, assisting with guest queries.
• Fully familiar with all ACCOR Policies & Procedures, ACCOR Internal Audit procedures, as well as the ACCOR Loyalty programme.
• Is responsible for keeping records and filing systems within the Front Office department.
• Is responsible for the effective operation of all Hotel systems pertaining to the operation of the Front Office.
• Ensures all relevant documentation and correspondence is received from reservations on a daily basis.
• Directly responsible for Pay Master status, deposits and credit facilities.
• Manages and authorize daily allowances and revenue adjustments.
• Ensures that credit control procedures are strictly adhered to, that no accounts exceed the stipulated limits without prior approval and that written confirmation, purchase orders or order numbers are recorded and on file.
• Manages and control outstanding group, agent and individual accounts as laid out in the companies Policies & Procedures.
• Checks all departures, method of payments, vouchers and correspondence on a daily basis.
• Checks that the Night Audit and back-ups has run and is completed.
• Checks and sign off the Night audit pack.
• Ensures strict control and checks over all company and Audit Policies & Procedures involving cashier functions, (cash, banking's, billing), reservations, costs and expenses, market and rate codes discrepancies, rate overrides, profiles, operational reports and variances.
• Manages and maintain daily departmental handovers.
• Check that guest accounts are maintained and revenues processed correctly.
• Checks that correct data is obtained from guests and updated on the Property Management System.
• Do “spot” float checks after a shift to ensure that companies Policies & Procedures pertaining to this function is adhered to in order to minimize financial losses.
• Do “spot” checks after a shift on pit check reports, rate check report, rate variance reports to ensure that the companies Policies & Procedures pertaining to this function is adhered to in order to minimize financial losses.

GUEST SATISFACTION

• Manage and Lead the team to ensure that standards are of exceptional quality and care is put into the end product.
• Provides services that are above and beyond for customer satisfaction and retention.
• Improves service by communicating and assisting individuals to understand guest needs, providing guidance, feedback, and individual coaching when needed.
• Acts as the “Service Champion” for the Front Office & Housekeeping and creates a positive atmosphere for guest relations.
• Displays leadership in guest hospitality, exemplifies excellent customer service, and creates a positive atmosphere for guest relations.
• Strives to improve service performance.
• Empowers employees to provide excellent customer service.
• Responds to and handles guest problems and complaints.
• Observes service behaviors of employees and provides feedback to individuals and/or managers.
• Liaises with all guests, ascertaining their requirements and co-coordinating these needs to the standards laid down by the companies Policies & Procedures.
• Greets guests in a warm and friendly manner.
• Answers calls in a professional manner and within 3 rings.
• Follow-ups are done to ensure the guest’s request, query or needs has been actioned and guest is satisfied.
• To have thorough knowledge of all facilities and services offered by the lodge.

HUMAN RESOURCES

• Maintain the highest standard of appearance and social skills in according to the companies Human Resources Policies & Procedures.
• Be familiar with the staff handbook, house rules, Code of Conduct, Health and Safety Policies & Procedures pertaining to your area of responsibilities.
• Be familiar with the company’s Disciplinary codes.
• Be familiar with the units training and development plans and strategies.
• Attends all relevant departmental meeting or other relevant scheduled meeting.
• Conducts and manage induction and training of new staff members and students.
• Controls and keep staff records up to date such as timekeeping, absenteeism, sick leave, overtime and days off.
• Carries out disciplinary actions if and when required.
• Ensures that the implementation of a performance management system is successful and seen to be fair and supported by all staff.
• Holds regular performance appraisals with staff identifying areas for development and training needs and ensuring that this training is affected.
• Ensure that consistent application of the performance management is applied.
• Review departmental performance against the objectives set
• Ensures all staff is present on the designated shifts.
• Fosters and develops effective employee relations between kitchen production and restaurant service, as well as with other departments within the hotel.
• Keeps effective internal communications, including daily meetings with all staff to ensure optimum team work and productivity
• Looks for ways to motivate and challenge employees.
• Contributes to identifying and implementing employees training schemes to ensure that standard company operating standards and procedures and employment equity targets are met
• Well-groomed at all times and dresses in accordance to the Company uniform and name badge issued to you and your subordinates.
• Attends training as and when required.
• Conducts relevant training sessions of standards, and the companies Policies & Procedures to your areas of responsibilities.
• Attends all relevant departmental meeting or other relevant scheduled meeting.
• Screens, interviews and selects potential staff for the department.
• Checks that own staff meets and exceeds expectations by training and encouraging staff to provide highly professional service.
• Identifies training needs.

• Identifies employees with potential for promotion and/or transfer and makes appropriate development plans for him or her together with the General Manager & Talent & Culture Manager.
• Works closely with the Talent & Culture Manager on the following:
  • Performance appraisals
  • Coaching
  • Counselling
  • Discipline and grievance
  • Employee relations
  • Succession planning
• Establishes and maintains effective internal communications, including weekly meetings with own staff to ensure optimum team work and productivity.
• Looks for ways to motivate and challenge employees.

HEALTH & SAFETY

• Be familiar with the companies Health & Safety Policies and Hygiene Standards and any other related laws
• Ensure a strong health and safety culture, directing and overseeing workplace safety programs to regulation compliance, employee awareness and an accident free workplace guided by the Rwandan Labor Law and the companies Policies & Procedures.
• Plays a role in the Health & Safety Committee.
• Ensures that all potential and real hazards are reported and reduced immediately.
• Fully understands the hotel’s fire, emergency, and bomb procedures.
• Ensures that emergency procedures are practiced and enforced to provide for the security and safety of guests and employees.
• Ensures that all employees in the department work in a safe manner that does not harm or injure self or others.
• Stimulates and encourages a general awareness of health and safety in tasks and activities carried out within the department.
• Ensures that the highest standards of personal hygiene, dress, uniform, appearance, body language and conduct of hotel employees is maintained by all employees in the department
• Responsible Business: show involvement and be interested in environmental and/or social issues by participating in Responsible Business hotel and departmental activities.
• Ensure that all Food & Beverage service areas are HACCP complaint

RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

• Shows involvement and is interested in environmental and or social & ethical issues by participating in responsible business activities.
• Promotes the Responsible Business programme to guests at all times using the Accor “Planet 21” principles.
• Is actively involved in finding ways of reducing waste, plastic and minimizing energy usage.
• Work closely with the hotel in participating where possible in community-based projects.
• Maintain awareness of new initiatives and the continuously growing social economic Program of the hotel.
• Participate and actively control all forms of waste and ensure accurate recycling of all glass, papers, plastics, aluminum, and steel form all areas to waste.
• Actively participate in the Food & Beverage waste program of the Hotel.

Other Special Requirements

• To perform other reasonable duties as directed by your immediate Manager.
• To be available to work overtime at the request of Management.
• To perform duty manager shifts as and when required.

Qualifications, Skills/Experience & Personal Attributes

• Bachelor Degree in Hospitality Management/Business Administration with proven experience in front office activities
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in front office Management
• High level of computer literacy with the emphasis on Office applications and a Property Management system (Opera) applicable to the outcomes required.
• Excellent communication skills enabling verbal and written communications on all levels.
• Fluent in English.
• The ability to plan, organise, lead and control in the work environment to achieve the business objectives
• The ability to identify and resolve a problem by applying problem solving techniques in the best interest of all stakeholders
• The ability to interact with people at all levels.
• Internally and externally well-groomed and a sense of diplomacy
• Leadership skills
• Team management skills

Working conditions

The Job’s responsibilities sometimes may require working extra hours and the working days include weekends and public holidays.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should send their both application letter and well detailed CV together with certificates not later than 14^th June 2024 via the mail: Thadee.gatabazi@mantiscollection.com, CC: Daniel.nsengiyera@mantiscollection.com 

Talent & Culture Manager